Harold Brant Gentry

Notes:

Grantham Funeral Home, Duncan, OK
Jan. 13, 2016

Harold Brant Gentry, 55, of Duncan, OK passed away Wednesday, January 6, 2016 in Oklahoma City, OK.

Graveside services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Thursday, January 14, 2016 in the Duncan Cemetery with Ron Stough officiating. Services are under the direction of the Don Grantham Funeral Home.

Brant was born July 30, 1960 in Duncan to Lloyd Harold and Reba (Mitchell) Gentry. He attended Duncan Public Schools and was a welder by trade.

Brant is survived by one brother, Blane E. Gentry; aunt and uncle, Lynell and Glen Cordell and aunt, Corine Burch; a special friend, Jackie Speed; and a host of other family and close friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Harold and Reba Gentry.

Notes:

Lyn Cordell writes that both Harold and Betty were born in a little house on Base Line Road, probably a mile west of Granny and Grandad Gentry's place. About a year after Betty's birth in 1930, they moved on to Granny and Grandad Gentry's place, just south of their home.

Eva Gentry enrolled her son in the Payne School when he was about five years old. She would walk him to school by way of the road, which was 2 or 3 miles. Before she could get back home herself, however, Harold had cut across the fields and was already at their home, waiting for her. It was actually not much shorter cutting across the fields, but Harold was in a hurry to get back home and away from school. He just wasn't ready for a teacher yet! His sister Lyn writes that Wildhorse Creek was in between and that was a big, wild river of water at the time. She imagines her mother would have been worried about her son trying to cross it. So, after a few times of being beat home by her Harold, she just gave up and waited until the next year to enroll him, this time at the Arthur School, which was probably around 1934-1935. Gladys Powell Payne was a new teacher at the school at the time.

Harold worked for the International-Harvester Co. in Duncan for many years. As of 1996, he was mostly retired from the Eddie Johnson Trucking Co. in Ratliff City, Oklahoma.

Obituary
duncanbanner.com

DUNCAN ? Lloyd Harold Gentry, 84, of Duncan, died Wednesday, May 23, 2012, in Duncan. Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Saturday, May 26 at Eastside Church of Christ, with David Frost officiating. Interment will follow in Duncan Cemetery under the direction of Don Grantham Funeral Home. The family will receive friends at the funeral home Friday from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

Lloyd was born May 8, 1928, in Duncan, the son of Delbert "Bud" and Eva Leona Blue Gentry. He married Reba Leavelle Mitchell Aug. 18, 1956, in Wichita Falls, Texas. She preceded him in death Feb. 23, 1999.

He worked as a truck mechanic for 36 years at Green Merrill Truck Company and later at Eddie Johnson Crane and Equipment Service. He was also a longtime member of the Eastside Church of Christ.

He is survived by two sons, Harold Brant Gentry and Blane Edwin Gentry, both of Duncan, and a sister, Lynell Cordell and husband Glen, also of Duncan.

Lloyd was preceded in death by his parents, Bud and Eva, his wife, Reba and a sister, Betty Jean Daniels.

Pall bearers will be Dale Towell, Mike Bilbrey, Dale Bragg, Bill Nelson, Gerald Kierbow and Tommy Anthony. Honorary bearers will be members of the Discussion Sunday School Class.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Tipton Children's Home at P.O. Box 370 Tipton, OK 73570.

Online condolences may be made at www.granthamfuneralhomes.com.

Lloyd married Reba Leavelle Mitchell on 18 Aug 1956 in Wichita Falls, Wichita County, Texas. Reba was born on 22 Sep 1935 in Duncan, Stephens County, Oklahoma; died on 23 Feb 1999 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma; was buried in Duncan Municipal Cemetery, Duncan, Stephens County, Oklahoma. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Reba L. Gentry, born Sept. 22 1935 in Duncan to Edwin D. and Grace Koonce Mitchell, died Feb. 23 1999 in Presbyterian Hospital in Oklahoma City. She married L. Harold Gentry in Wichita Falls TX Aug. 18 1956. She retired from Halliburton's. She was a member of the Eastside Church of Christ. Survivors include her husband of the home, sons Brant Gentry and Blane Gentry of Duncan, a brother Don and Rosemary Mitchell of Moore and two sisters Corine and Roy Burch and Faye and Raymond Towell all of Duncan. She was preceded in death by a brother Granville Mitchell and a sister Bernadine Burch. Burial was in the Duncan Cemetery.

(Source: USGEBWEB page, Stephens County, Oklahoma)

Notes:

1930 census Stephens Co. OK Parks Twp., ED 69-21 Sheet 3A 33/37 Gentry, Delbert, MW 36 M 31 OK TX KS
Eva, wife FW 22 M 17 TX TX TX
Harold, son MW 1 11/12 OK OK TX
Blue, Elizabeth, mother-in-law FW 54 Wd 16 TX TX TX

Duncan Banner-July 1974 Gentry Funeral Set Thursday--Bud Gentry, 80, 516 Pine, died at 6 p.m. Tuesday after a short illness. Service will be at 2 p.m. Thursday in the Northside Church of Christ conducted by John Cannon. Burial will be in the Duncan Cemetery under direction of the Brooks Funeral Home. Gentry was born Oct. 5, 1893 at Alma. He was a life-long resident of Stephens County, moving to Duncan in 1950 from Velma. He married Eva Blue on March 5, 1925 in Duncan. He was a veteran of World War I and was a retired Halliburton Services employee. He was a member of the Northside Church of Christ. Survivors are his wife of the home; a son, Harold Gentry, 911 N. C.; two daughters, Mrs Mansel (Betty) Daniels, Duncan Rt. 3, and Mrs Glen (Lynell) Cordell, Duncan Rt. 4; a brother, Elmer Gentry, 2104 Birch; two sisters, Mrs. Tolbert Goodwin, Bell, Calif., and Mrs Richard Meeks, 704 N. 2nd, and six grandchildren.

(Courtesy Lynell Cordell)

Delbert married Eva Leona Blue on 5 Mar 1925 in Duncan, Stephens County, Oklahoma. Eva was born on 30 Apr 1907 in Van Zandt County, Texas; died on 17 Aug 1993 in Duncan, Stephens County, Oklahoma; was buried in Duncan Municipal Cemetery, Duncan, Stephens County, Oklahoma. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Eva was the daughter of Thomas Fate Blue and Martha Elizabeth Baker.

Thursday, August, 9, 1934
WILD HORSE CLUB
The Wild Horse club met August 2nd with Mrs. Bud Gentry. Miss Louise Frazier was leader of the afternoon's lesson on parliamentary rules of the club. Miss Frazier, with several other members assisting, discussed the by-laws of our club. We voted to carry out some of the rules to a finer point in our future meetings. Another important feature of the afternoon was the planning of our County Fair budget.
Mrs. Gentry served ice cream and cake to thirteen members and visitors. The club will meet with Mrs. Frank Graham August 16th. Mrs. Bud Phillips will have charge of the meeting. --Reporter


In an email to Melinda Strong on 30 January 2002, Lynell Cordell wrote:

My mother's name wasn't pronounced Eve-a, but I can't spell the way it was pronounced. Her siblings called her Evie, but that's not pronounced Eve-ie either.

Tom Blue died in 1910, just before my mother's third birthday. There were 8 children in the family and most were sick, including Tom, but he went out on a rainy day to get some medicine and developed pneumonia and died. My mother said she remembered seeing him in the bed next to hers and I think what she remembered could have been when he died. Her mother would have cried and carried on so a 3 year old would probably remember something like that.

My grandmother's life (Martha Baker) would make a good book but it sure wouldn't be very romantic. When Grandma was 15 years old her parents died within two months of each other. She had a 12 year old brother and a 3 year old sister and they were split up among relatives. We don't know which relatives. Grandma said the people who took her in only wanted help with the farm and worked her entirely too hard. Then, when she was 17 she married Tom Blue and they applied for guardianship of her brother and baby sister. But, by then the couple who took the baby apparently didn't want to give her up so they told my grandmother that the baby died. We now know that the baby had a better life than she would have had with my grandmother.

Grandma married again and had her 9th child and divorced and worked her fingers to the bone raising all those kids by herself and when she was old, living with her daughter in Dallas, her baby sister came knocking on her door. Can you imagine the shock?

And now I've met the baby sister's granddaughter! She's just a few years older than I am and lives in Fort Worth and we talk all the time.

Notes:

Married:
Vol. 9, Stephens County Marriage Book:, Lic. # 60
Delbert "Bud" Gentry to Eva Blue, on 3-5-1925.

Charles Strong said that Delbert and Eva spent their wedding night at the home of Bessie Payne in Duncan, Oklahoma.

Notes:

Lynell Gentry notes that her father, the youngest son of James and Zada Gentry, "talked about living in Wise Co. Texas, when he was a youngster. That was probably between Dera's birth in 1899 and Elmer's in 1901. Bessie told Anna Laura that they came across the Red River to Oklahoma on New Year's Day 1900 and lived in Grady Co. before settling in Stephens Co. Although on the 1900 census they are at Township 2SR3W, the same as Zada's mother and unmarried siblings. That location is around Alma, Oklahoma, where my Dad [Delbert] said he was born in 1893. Zada's father died there in 1899 and is buried near John M. and Pamelia Gentry in the Alma Cemetery."

Ken Harvey notes that in 1900 "We find four young unidentified Gentrys '[second] cousins [of Ed & Zada's children?]' living with Ed and Zada during the census of Indian Territory in 1900 and as a result they had to be enumerated there. They were presumably not on vacation as they were very young-perhaps their parents were starting to homestead in Indian Territory and were building their house having been there a few years. These youngsters were presumably the grandchildren of either James, Michael, Wesley or Abram-the sons of Preacher William Gentry.

We only know for certain that Wesley and Abram emigrated to Texas with the family. They could easily have been Wesley or Abram's grandchildren. They are Mollie, Stephen, Cubie and Addie. Assuming they are all siblings their unknown Gentry father was born in Texas and their mother was born in Kansas. In addition there was an unidentified fourteen year old nephew, Mayfield Ladd b. Mar. 1886 TX, who was presumably on a working vacation."

There were some Todd's in the area in 1900 but no Ladd's were found so it is not certain which name is correct.

In 1919 the couple bought about 160 acres of Stephens Co. land from Ed's nephew Franklin Melton Gentry and his wife. This was on Nov. 22nd. and the lands legal description was Sec. 4 1S 5W. (Book 103, Page 139, Stephens County Courthouse).

They sold this land to Bill Kirk in 1946 and moved to 2nd Street in Duncan.

J.E. Gentry's obituary, from THE DUNCAN EAGLE dated 19 January 1950 reads as follows:

"60 Year Resident of County, J.E. Gentry, Dies After Long Illness" Funeral services were held Wednesday afternoon for James E. Gentry, 80, 704 North 2nd, who died in a local hospital Monday night after a long illness. Gentry had been a resident of this county for the past 60 years, having moved to Alma in 1889. He was born in Wise County, Texas [Lynell thinks this is an error*] in March, 1869. G. W. McCollum, Minister, conducted the rites as the West Main Church of Christ with Rev. Roy V. Harp of the First Christian Church assisting. Burial was in the Duncan Cemetery under the direction of Rangley-Holden Funeral Home.

Bearers were Bruce Ridley, V. K. McMasters, Jake Kirby, Gaylord Clark, M.E. Hitt and Bill Groppenbacher. Survivors include the widow Zada, five sons, A.L. of Duncan, Delbert of Duncan Route 3, Elmer and Jess of Duncan and Lloyd of Oklahoma City, three daughters, Ruth Gentry of the home address, Mrs. Bessie Payne of Oklahoma City, and Mrs. Dera Goodwin of Bell, California.

*Lynell noted that the 1860 and 1870 census records were in Johnson County, Texas, and she believes he was born there.

Ken Harvey further noted that he was known as Ed. He was a slow moving person.

(Research):Census Listings:

1900 census
Chickasaw Nation IT (Stephens Co. OK) ED 167 pg. 15 240/244
Jentry, J.E., Mar. 1869, 31, married 9, TX KY TN Farmer
Zadie, wife, Jan. 1875, 25, 6 children/6 living, KS TN KS
Arthur, son, Jun 1893, 7, IT
Delbert, son, Mar. 1894, 6, IT
Bessie, dau., Apr. 1896, 4, IT
Jesse, son, Apr. 1897, 3, IT
Deria, dau., Apr. 1899, 1, IT
Jentry, Mollie, cus., May 1896, 4, IT TX KS
Stephen, cus., Feb. 1897, 3, IT TX KS Cubie, cus, female, M
ar. 1897, 3, TX TX KS
Addie, cus., Feb. 1898, 2, IT, TX KS
Ladd?/Todd?, Mayfield, neph., Mar. 1886, 14, TX TN KS

1910 census
Grady Co. OK, Amber twn.,
ED 90 pg. 11 B
137/138
Jentry, James E., 41, married 20, TX KY KY
Elzada, 39, 7 children/7 living, KS TN TN
Arthur, son, 17, OK Delbert, son, 16, OK Bessie, dau., 14, OK Jesse, son, 13, OK
Dera, dau., 11, OK Elmer, son, 8, OK
Loyd, son, 1, OK

1920 census,
Stephens Co. OK, Parks twp.,
ED 250 pg. 14B.
Gentry, James E., 50, TX TN TN
Zada, 49, KS TN TN
Delbert, son, 25, OK
Dera, dau. 20, OK
Elmer, son, 18, OK
Lloyd R., son, 9, OK
Ruth, dau., 7, OK

1930 census
Stephens Co. OK Parks Twp.,
ED 69-21 Sheet 3A
34/38
Gentry, James E., MW 61 M 21 TX TN TN
Zada, wife FW 59 M 19 KS MS MS
Jess N., son MW 33 S OK TX KS
Lloyd, son MW 21 S OK TX KS
Ruth, dau. FW 17 S OK TX KS

James married Elzada Trawick about 1891. Elzada (daughter of James Jackson Trawick and Elizabeth Lucinda Adams) was born on 6 Jan 1871 in Coffeyville, Montgomery County, Kansas; died on 23 Jan 1951 in Duncan, Stephens County, Oklahoma; was buried in Duncan Municipal Cemetery, Duncan, Stephens County, Oklahoma. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Ken Harvey writes that she was known as Zadie or Elzadie. Her family moved to Coffeyville, Kansas, shortly before she was born.

It was Zadie's habit, as with all the pioneers, to conserve water. She used to wash the dishes and disposing of that water she would then rinse them with fresh water. This rinse water was retained for the next dish washing. When piped water was installed Zadie continued her old routine for the rest of her life to the amusement of all.

Obituaries (Both courtesy of Lynell Gentry Cordell)

Duncan Eagle
Jan. 25, 1951

Mrs. Gentry, Pioneer Resident, Dies Tuesday

One of the first settlers of what is now Stephens County, Mrs. J. E. Gentry, 705 North 2nd, died Tuesday in a Duncan hospital after suffering a stroke last week. Mrs. Gentry, 80, had lived in Alma since 1889. She moved to Duncan several years ago.

Survivors include five sons, Arthur, Lee (sic), Elmer, Delbert, all of Duncan, and Lloyd of Oklahoma City; three daughters, Ruth Gentry of the home address; Mrs. Bessie Payne, Oklahoma City, and Mrs. Tolbert Goodwin of Bell, Calif.; a brother George Trawick of 705 Pecan; two sisters, Mrs. Mary Rennels of Carpenter, and Mrs. Susie McMinn, Merkle, Texas; 16 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.

Daily Banner (Duncan Banner)
January 23, 1951

'89er Dies in Hospital Here

Mrs. J. E. Gentry of 704 North 2nd, died at 8 a.m. today in a Duncan hospital. She had suffered a stroke Friday. Mrs. Gentry 80, had been a resident of Alma and Duncan since 1889. She was a member of the Church of Christ. Funeral arrangements will be announced by Rangeley-Holden Funeral Home. Survivors include 5 sons, 3 daughters, a brother, 2 sisters, 16 grandchildren, and 17 great-grandchildren. The sons are Arthur Gentry, 305 South 7th; Jess Gentry, 704 North 2nd; Elmer Gentry, 1116 Elm; Delbert Gentry, Duncan; Lloyd Gentry, Oklahoma City. The daughters are Ruth Gentry, home address; Mrs. Bessie Payne, Oklahoma City; Mrs. Tolbert Goodwin, Bell, Calif. The brother is George Trawick, 706 Pecan. The sisters are Mrs. Mary Rennels, Carpenter, Okla. and Mrs. Susie McMinn, Merkle, Tex.

Notes:

Married:
Lynell Gentry Cordell writes that "Zada Trawick's family was also in Wise Co., Texas in 1880. I wonder if John M. and Pamelia could have moved there after the 1880 census and Zada and Ed met and married there in 1890/91. Preacher William, possibly in need of care, his wife having probably died, could have been there around that time also." It is also possible that they married in Oklahoma, her obituary saying she had been a resident of Alma and Duncan since 1889.